Reflets dans l'eau

Claude Debussy's Reflets dans l'eau ("Reflections in the Water") is the first of three piano pieces from his first volume of Images, which are frequently performed separately.

While in some ways Debussy influenced his younger contemporary, Ravel was arguably the first to adopt impressionism.

[1] Reflets dans l'eau opens in a slow tempo (andantino molto) (which is repeated through much of the piece) while the right hand is playing a set of chords to accompany the melody.

The piece has several brief melody statements and climaxes that are more glimpses of music than full ideas, which is typical of Debussy's middle and late piano works.

Writing "images", Debussy was purposely intending not to create linear musical progression, but a sonic representation of water.